What's Smoak's deal this year? I haven't seen much on him this spring. Make or break year from him, it would seem, but are there expectations he's going to be good?

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he had a lot of bad luck last year with injuries. He had an issue with his hand that took away some of his power and then he got hit in the face off a bad hop at 1st to go along with his dad passing away. I'm expecting a bounce back year from him.

I think that 2008 game is also the only home opener he's had on opening day (he might have pitched a home opener where we opened the season on the road; don't feel like looking all that up), which answered my other question.

he had a lot of bad luck last year with injuries. He had an issue with his hand that took away some of his power and then he got hit in the face off a bad hop at 1st to go along with his dad passing away. I'm expecting a bounce back year from him.

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Hoping you guys are right, because that's kind of how I've felt about him. If he doesn't have a breakout year to some extent (and I'd call him doing what he showed to start last year over 162 a breakout season of sorts), I'm counting on Paul Goldschmidt in 3 different leagues. Not ideal.

I think that 2008 game is also the only home opener he's had on opening day (he might have pitched a home opener where we opened the season on the road; don't feel like looking all that up), which answered my other question.

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His opening day starts have been a lot like his playoff starts. He's just always looked jumpy on the mound. Hoping he can settle down early this year, because he's usually done pretty well v. Boston the last couple years.

yea once Hamels went into beastmode in the 2008 playoffs the point couldn't be argued, it was before that. (could have even been on rivals while you were arguing with itzsessil, I'm not totally sure)

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I used to have a boner for Pelfrey, he was so nasty at times and went through these stretches where his sinker looked like Brandon Webb. He's just a weird, finger licking human being who's a huge pussy though. I probably would say something like that back then. Most of the time he has the yips and is his own worst enemy.

mlb.tv is 1080p? i thought it was just a stream of the broadcast. it is funny when they throw it to the local news/weather/etc and it's just dead air. every time that happens i pray in vain that an announcer will curse or say something embarrassing. alas.

it's advertised as 1080p. i only ask because i was looking into mlb extra innings as well but if i can actually get mlb.tv in true 1080p then it's a no brainer (bandwidth limits on cable/dish only allow max resolutions of 1080i/720p and 60hz refresh rates iirc, for those wondering why i care)

Hopefully it has a different result than when the Yankees tried to make Joba into a starter. Didn't Bard suck in the minors as a starter? I don't get it.

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When he first started in the organization he struggled with confidence issues and had a mental wall to get over. They turned him into a reliever and he climbed up the ranks pretty quickly.

The organization just feels it is a worth taking and believes that he is over the issues he experienced early in his career. If it works, him at the #5 spot is better than him being a setup man and certainly more value to the organization.

When he first started in the organization he struggled with confidence issues and had a mental wall to get over. They turned him into a reliever and he climbed up the ranks pretty quickly.

The organization just feels it is a worth taking and believes that he is over the issues he experienced early in his career. If it works, him at the #5 spot is better than him being a setup man and certainly more value to the organization.

But a very risky move either way.

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They also could have made him the closer and kept Reddick. It should be interesting to see how it turns out.

When he first started in the organization he struggled with confidence issues and had a mental wall to get over. They turned him into a reliever and he climbed up the ranks pretty quickly.

The organization just feels it is a worth taking and believes that he is over the issues he experienced early in his career. If it works, him at the #5 spot is better than him being a setup man and certainly more value to the organization.

But a very risky move either way.

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he got beat up pretty bad when I watched him a couple weeks ago, didn't look good at all.

he got beat up pretty bad when I watched him a couple weeks ago, didn't look good at all.

now I know that's just one start, but I agree it is very risky.

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That is where the issue lies with me.

Being a reliever his fastball was great velocity wise but still had to have location as it was straight. Now as a starter you have the fastball dropping in velocity and the secondary stuff has to keep improving or he is going to have outings like he did when you saw him (He has had a couple of those outings this spring).

Yeah, 49ers I actually got to see him a couple times this year. The Red Sox new stadium is like 10 minutes from my office, and we have group season tickets right behind the plate like 6 rows up so I go a lot. Plus, a kid I played ball with in high school was on the Red Sox spring club, so I liked to go and see him.

For me with Bard, I look at it just like you do. The fastball doesn't really play up as a starter because of how straight it is, and I'm not sure the secondary stuff is there. When the Yankees were going back and forth with Joba I railed against the idea of wasting him as a reliever, I don't see this situation as similar, I think he could be a really great multi-use bullpen piece.

if the Red Sox think he can be a competent starter they should definitely try though.

Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols won't be the only first basemen to cash in with historic contracts this offseason. Joey Votto and the Reds are nearing an extension that will keep the first baseman in Cincinnati for a long time, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes and Ben Nicholson-Smith have learned. Dan Lozano of Icon Sports Group represents Votto.​

Terms of the deal are not known, but the total contract value could surpass $200MM. Votto will earn a total of $27MM through 2013 on the extension he signed last winter.​

Votto, the 2010 NL MVP, has evolved into one of the game's elite players since debuting in 2007. He followed up his MVP season with a .309/.416/.531 line, 29 homers and 40 doubles. The 28-year-old has been a seven win player each of the past two seasons, according to FanGraphs' version of wins above replacement.​